Memories
by susies-fandom-wonders
Summary: Anonymous requested Clark/Luke bonding.


Good Day Anon wanted some Luke/Clark bonding :)

I'll see if I can do it

Soooo sorry about not doing the Halloween prompt! I was really falling behind on work, but I should be good to write it if you still want me to Good Day Anon :) ごめんなさい

(It's been a good minute since Last Spectre, but I think I remember enough to write something good)

Memories

Clark frowned at his paperwork. He was in his office, and the newly elected mayor of Misthallery was absolutely swamped. The strange occurrences had been happening more frequently now, the giant specter creating more and more damage to the town. The last attack -- Clark referred them as that now -- had completely ravaged the north area.

Luke hadn't left his room in a long while now, the boy recently refusing to even come down for dinner. Only Doland was let in. Clark frowned at the thought. Since he had become mayor, he had lost his connection with the boy, and it seemed he was turning to Doland for help.

Speaking of the Triton's butler, he had been acting strange. Strange wasn't the right word -- he was a completely different person. His handwriting had gone from neat and organized to something so sloppy that the maid couldn't even read it. Clark had to translate it for her, and even that proved to be difficult, the spiky, slanted cursive nothing like their butler's.

Brenda had also started to drift away, and she had mentioned, very briefly, that the butler that was in their home was simply not Doland. She seemed scared, and she always requested for Beth, the house maid, to be at her side. Clark couldn't really put a finger on why his wife was so… unsettled. Perhaps Doland knew what was going on, but then again, Brenda had been correct in that Doland wasn't himself.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts as a knock came at his office door. He pushed the papers aside as he called to the visitor that the door was open.

"Father?" Clark was surprised as Luke poked his head around the door, his mouth set in a straight line.

"Luke!" He motioned for the boy to step in. "What is it, my boy?" Luke stepped in to the room, casting his gaze onto the floor.

"I've been wondering…." Clark raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"What was the professor like?" The mayor smiled. It was not uncommon for Luke to ask about his friend, He stood and walked around the desk.

"Hershel is a very smart man." Luke looked up at him then. "I wasn't sure about him when I first met him. He was -- and still is -- a very soft-spoken man." Luke's eyes flashed with curiosity, and Clark could almost see the gears in the boy's head turning.

"Didn't you say he was good at puzzles?" Clark nodded, then knelt down to be on Luke's level.

"Yes, he's extremely good at them, just like you." The child gave a small smile before sitting down on the ground, legs crossed.

"Did he ever say why he was good at them?"

"Not really. People are just smart sometimes." Clark's mind wandered back to when he had first asked Layton how he figured out a specific problem so fast -- it was about the Azran. The man's eyes darkened then, and Clark could see the conflict and the guilt, the grief flashing through the man's expression before he simply stated:

"I've had a lot of practice with them." He never elaborated, and Clark had never asked for him to. The emotions that he had stirred up honestly scared Clark. He never thought he would see Layton so shook up about something.

"Father!" Clark blinked, his eyes snapping to meet with his son's. Luke frowned. "Did you hear my question?" Clark gave a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Luke. I was thinking." The boy blinked before continuing.

"I asked if the professor could solve the mystery of the spectre." Clark crinkled his eyebrows in confusion.

"He probably could, I wouldn't put it past Hershel to come up with the solution." Luke looked at the ground, giving a soft hum. "Why do you ask?" Luke shook his head.

"No reason in particular." The boy looked up at Clark, and gave a very small, almost indistinguishable smile. "Thank you." Before Clark could say anything, Luke wrapped his arms around the man. Clark froze, his eyes growing wide. After the shock that Luke, his son, was hugging him after what seemed to be a small eternity had passed, Clark returned the embrace, squeezing the boy softly.

"You can come to me for anything, okay?" He whispered this to Luke, and the boy stilled before pulling away. They met each other's gazes, and Clark was surprised to see the little twinkle in his son's eyes.

"Okay, father."


End file.
